Hello Tweets,

We have just updated our website with 37 new photos in 2 separate galleries. These photos consist of highlights taken yesterday at Damon Point(Ocean Shores)and although conditions were quite windy and could we managed to get some good photos! These highlight include 26 photos of 1-2 of the 7 Snowy Owls,1-2 Snow Buntings,a Glaucous Gull and a Bonaparte's Gull. The Glaucous Gull seemed quite undernourished and was feeding on the remains of a female Surf Scoter,which can partially be seen in our photos. The bird seemed starving and really didn't want to leave it's meal,which we presume returned to after we left it and pursued other birds. The change in bill color on the Glaucous Gull is quite evident from while it was feeding to when it cleaned it's bill in the water. It was nice seeing at least 2 Snow Bunting lingering near the Damon Point"pond",but perhaps there could be more around. Our main excitement from yesterday was watching the Snowy Owls near the tip of what is called "Catala Spit" or to some it could be referred to as the extreme southeast tip of Damon Point or even some sources refer to it as Protection Island. Whatever the true name it ranks very high on our most desired birding locations in WA! It was at this location that all the Snowy Owls favored and it was just a short,brisk walk east then south from the Damon Point"pond".

During the Snowy Owl"invasion" during the winter of 1996-1997 that we personally recorded up to 28 Snowy Owls in the dunes east of the Damon Point"pond" with a few scattered birds noted closer to the pond and also near the extreme southeast tip of Damon Point. The birds during that time were often congregated together with multiple birds observed resting near eachother and at times all that was visible was the heads in the straw-colored grass of the dunes. This similar activity was noted at other areas during the "invasion",as we experienced a Leadbetter Point with up to 30 birds at that location during the same winter.

Going back to yesterday's sightings of the Snowy Owls,which primarily was tuned to watching one specific bird that rested for a great length of time on a driftwood obstruction,then without notice began coughing up something and we soon thought of the bird coughing up a pellet. We obtained only a part of this action in our photos and not the actual pellet being coughed up. After the bird finally flew from it's perch we cautiously walked over to the driftwood and found 2 pellets. we examined the older pellet,which soon revealed a leg and foot of what look like came from a Dunlin with other small fragments of bones. I seems the Snowy Owls will try and catch almost anything to survive,but if more birds follow the hunting could be tougher. It is nice seeing the Snowy Owls in there natural habitat,as far as for the winter!


Our latest photo can be accessed at the following links:

Snowy Owl photos http://www.pbase.com/godwit/snowy_owl/

other Damon Point highlights http://www.pbase.com/godwit/december05photos/


We hope you enjoy our latest additions to our photo website with more to follow as they occur!



Sincerely,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net